The Detroit Red Wings are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Leo Reise, Jr. Reise passed away on Sunday at the age of 93 in Hamilton, Ontario. Reise played 340 games for the Red Wings as a defenseman from 1946-52 and recorded 82 points (21-61-82) and 251 penalty minutes. The Stoney Creek, Ontario, native was a four-time NHL All-Star with the Red Wings and was a key component of the team’s Stanley Cup championships in 1950 and 1952. Reise totaled 494 NHL games over a nine-season NHL career with the Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers before retiring in 1953-54. The organization would like to offer its deepest sympathies to the Reise family during this difficult time.

I’ve never told anyone this story until now, but during the second game of Lou’s tenure, we were playing in Toronto, and they were really giving it to us. One of Lou’s biggest frustrations with the team he inherited wasn’t just that we weren’t all that good, but that we’d get beat up and pushed around too much. In general, we didn’t carry ourselves in a way that demanded respect. At some point during the game against the Leafs, Claude Loiselle received an elbow to the head by Wendel Clark, a talented young player who was tough as nails. It looked bad, and Claude was woozy coming to bench.

After seeing that, I hopped over the boards for my shift and challenged Wendel to a fight at center ice. I don’t remember who won it, but I’m going to safely assume I took a few good shots.

We ended up losing the game, but afterwards Lou came up to me and stuck his hand out to shake mine, and I noticed he was gripping a couple of $100 bills. My eyes kind of widened and I looked at him seriously and said, “What’s this for?”

He goes, “I like what you did tonight. You stuck up for a teammate. Now take this and get yourself something nice.” I said, “That’s not necessary. This is my job.” Then Lou got a little hot, looked me in my eye and said (minus the expletives), “I want this team to understand that we’re in this together, thick and thin, on and off the ice. Read between the lines!”

We give five reasons why Nashville should trade Weber, at least at some point within the next year.

1. The offers will be ridiculously in Nashville’s favor

His $7.857 million salary cap hit, while less awful in today’s post 2012-13 lockout world, is a lot. Also, some teams have the money, and the lunacy, to part with multiple good, young NHL-ready forwards Nashville needs. Weber is a physical speciman and cornerstone defenseman, but his perceived value, especially amongst old boys GMs, may be greater than his actual worth. Many probably still drool over this 2010 Olympics shot where the puck went through the net on a goal.

The Oilers under former general manager Craig MacTavish always seemed to be hot after Weber. And he’s the type of player the current Edmonton group could use with Connor McDavid coming in. Wait, how would Weber ever allow a trade to EdmonHoth? Oh yeah, the Predators didn’t give him any no-trade clause. So they can deal him to whatever team they want.

And new Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli has seemed OK with dealing good, young forwards at points of his career. If you’re going to trade the face of your franchise, you need to make sure you get the right pieces back. There are teams that have the type of NHL-ready young talent who can step in and score right away – like again, Edmonton.

The KHL's offseason is like election season in the U.S.--many promises are made and bluster issued by both candidates for seats on the Russian Hockey Federation's board of directors, and everything from starting a KHL team in China to playing by NHL rules and sealing off KHLers' routes to the NHL have been bantered about over the past two weeks, with Slava Fetisov--who was recently reelected to the KHL board after several years off--leading the charge on the latter two issues.

At this time of year, it's really bluster as opposed to fact, and Fetisov was all but obligated to talk about cutting off the Russian window to the NHL after Phil Esposito suggested to the Russian press that such a course of action would be a "return to communism," so this Tweet from Sport-Express's Slava Malamud, provided by MLive's Brendan Savage (via RedWingsFeed), is really par for the course:

Q: A lot of the Flyers roster is in tact from last year, but can you talk about the additions of your countrymen Michal Neuvirth and Radko Gudas…

“I know Michal very well. I played with him on the national teams growing up. He’s a great goalie and I think that was a great pick up by the organization. The last two years I’ve been the only Czech here by myself so it’s good to have two guys. I’m very excited to be able to talk every once in a while in Czech to someone. Sometimes it was hard when I called home and I tried to talk Czech with my mom. She would ask me if I was sleeping because I talked like I couldn’t speak Czech anymore.”

Q: On Gudas…

“I said this before… I think he’s going to be one of the favorite players on the team to the fans next year because he leaves everything on the ice and plays with a lot of grit. It’s very good to see that we have a player like him in our organization.”

Q: Finally, your thoughts on your new head coach, Dave Hakstol. Is it true he flew to Czech Republic to meet with you in person?

“Yes, it says a lot that he flew all the way to Czech Republic to meet with me, and he had some Czech food so that’s a good sign! I’m very excited for him coming in here and a new system. We spent a lot of time talking about everything from everyday life to what he’s expecting from us, as well as myself and I think it went very well.”

When asked what led him to sign the enigmatic Semin, who was bought out by the Carolina Hurricanes this summer after scoring only six goals in 57 games last season, Bergevin said: “He’s high skilled … he brings something that not a lot of players do have. Obviously, things didn’t go his way in Carolina. He’s going to have a chance to prove that he is a player that he once was and he’s still young at 31 years of age. So we hope he’ll bring his skill and his compete level to Montreal.”

The Hurricanes gave Semin a five-year, $35-million contract extension in March 2013 after he had averaged a point a game in his first 30 games with Carolina (eight goals and 22 assists) after signing a one-year, $7-million free-agent contract. The buyout will cost the Hurricanes $14 million spread over the next six years.

Bergevin told reporters in Foxboro that the 31-year-old Semin, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (13th overall) at the 2002 NHL Draft, needs to show more consistency in his game.

“That was the downside that he had in Carolina and that’s what we’re looking for,” the GM said. “If you don’t score — (and) it’s hard to score in today’s game — you have to bring something else to the table. So it’s either backchecking or stripping pucks or playing solid hockey … that’s what I expect from you if you don’t score.”

So are the Senators, as is, good enough to go back to the post-season tournament next April?

Perhaps, as long as they don't screw around by winning only 17 of 41 games in the first half of the season again.

Other than Ottawa, the aging Detroit Red Wings and maybe the New York Islanders, it's difficult to imagine any of the Top 8 finishers from 2014-15 falling out.

Certainly not Tampa Bay, Montreal, the New York Rangers, Washington or Pittsburgh.

Of the teams that failed to qualify, the Columbus Blue Jackets appear to have the best chance at earning a playoff spot next season. They would have been there in 2014-15 if not for a rash of injuries seldom before seen with another franchise.

After them, the Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins (despite their remodelling) are sure to make a strong push as well. Then there's the possibility New Jersey and Carolina are better than they look, while we have a sneaky suspicion Buffalo and yes, even Toronto, will surprise a lot of people.

1. DetroitRedWings.com's Bill Roose penned a Q and A with Dylan Larkin, and it's preceded by these statements from Larkin regarding his decision to turn pro with the Grand Rapids after his World Championship experience, as well as his goals for this fall:

“It was a major step up from college to the World Championship with the skill and speed and then coming back to the AHL was another step, jumping into the playoffs,” Larkin said. “It was a physical series and it was on a smaller rink and things happened a lot more fast. It was a long year but it was a good year.”

The Wings will take no fewer than 15 NHL-experienced forwards to camp in a few months. Many believe Larkin is ready for the challenge of making the jump to the NHL. But he’ll have to take someone’s spot, which won’t be easy.

“I want to make the jump (to the NHL),” Larkin said. “ I signed for a chance to play in the NHL and my time in Grand Rapids, I’m more than comfortable spending time there. The coaches they brought in and the players we have we’re going to have a good team again. I’m just going to training camp and having as much fun as possible and playing some games and having fun.”

As for the difficult challenges that await him in September, Larkin said he only focuses on what he can control.

“I just kind of worry about myself,” he said. “I know my game. I’m pretty confident with my game. I’m more worried about how I play.”

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